Aurora Avenue fire causes traffic detour

Overheated electrical wiring caused a blaze at a vacant house Monday morning off Aurora Avenue North just south of the Aurora bridge.

Southbound traffic in the 2100 block of Aurora was rerouted onto Dexter while fire crews worked to clear the scene.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 8:34 a.m., following the reports of a witness who was walking south on Aurora on the sidewalk, according to the Seattle Fire Department.

Crews arrived to find rooms and windows boarded up in the vacant house, meaning the fire likely had plenty of time to burn before anyone noticed it and also making it harder for firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze in every corner of the building, reports say.

After firefighters extinguished the fire, they went through every room to make sure all the hidden spaces were safe, extending their stay at the scene.

The house was vacant when crews arrived. The blaze caused about $30,000 in damage to the building.